The Karnataka police on Monday said that five people have been arrested for the murder of Bengaluru hotelier Arun Kumar, 34, on June 29. The police have cited a financial issue and the wife’s murder as the motive behind the murder.
The arrested accused have been identified as Ranjitha, 23, her paramour Ganesh, 26, and Ganesh’s friends Shivananda, Sharath and Deepak – all residents of Channasandra, RR Nagar and Banashankari areas in the city.
The victim, a resident of Channasandra, was found dead near NICE Road in South Bengaluru’s Gattigerepalya on June 29. A murder case was filed on June 30 after identifying the body.
Ranjitha’s alleged role in the crime came to light after the police found her behavious as suspicious and detained her for questioning. Investigation revealed her role and she allegedly confessed to the crime.
As per the police, Ranjitha conspired with Ganesh and his friends to murder her husband. The police further said that the victim, Kumar, had borrowed approximately Rs 8 lakh from Ganesh for his hotel business but was unable to repay the loan. As a result, he suffered losses and was compelled to shut the hotel down three weeks before his death.
However, six months ago, Ganesh and Ranjitha got into an affair, something that Kumar got a whiff of four months ago and warned the duo. Regardless of the warning, the two kept meeting which led to Kumar frequently assaulting his wife Ranjitha.
It was then that Ranjitha asked Ganesh to eliminate her husband. On June 28, he asked Kumar to meet him under the pretext of discussing financial matters related to reopening the hotel.
According to The Indian Express, on June 28, he asked Kumar to meet him under the pretext of discussing financial matters related to reopening the hotel. Kumar, in an inebriated state, met Ganesh and they went to Gattigerepalya in an autorickshaw. There, Ganesh and his friends attacked Kumar with machetes, resulting in his death, officials added. The assailants then fled the spot.
In a bid to create an alibi, Ranjitha went to her parents’ house in Mandya on June 28, a day before Ekadashi, and returned on June 30. The move was intended to divert suspicion from her, according to a senior police officer, IE reported.